2025 Award Recipient - Alan H. Donhoff '72

Alan Donhoff, a 1972 graduate of Saint Xavier High School, distinguished himself as a multi-sport athlete, lettering in both baseball and basketball. He continued his athletic and academic career at Ohio Northern University, where he earned NCAA All-America recognition in both sports and was named Conference MVP in basketball in 1976. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Ohio Northern and later completed a Master of Education degree at the University of Louisville.

In 1978, Alan returned to St. X to begin what would become a remarkable 42-year career in education and athletics. His roles at the school included Math Teacher, Assistant Principal, Assistant Baseball Coach, Assistant Basketball Coach, and Head Basketball Coach. However, he is best known for his 25 years of service as Athletic Director, a role in which he helped shape one of Kentucky’s most successful high school athletic programs.

During Alan’s tenure as Athletic Director, St. X teams won a total of 141 state championships—90 in KHSAA-sanctioned sports and 51 in non-sanctioned competitions. He oversaw the addition of several new athletic programs, including Lacrosse, Ice Hockey, Rugby, Bowling, Bass Fishing, and ESports, and he played a key leadership role in the planning of major athletic facility renovations as part of the school’s multi-million-dollar Project X capital campaign.

In conjunction with his role as Athletic Director, Alan had the privilege of serving as the non-public school member on the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Board of Control from 2006 to 2014, representing Regions 1–8. He held the role of its President in 2011–2012, becoming the first ever non-public school member elected to this position.

 Alan’s contributions to high school athletics have been recognized through numerous awards and honors. He is a member of the Ohio Northern University Athletic Hall of Fame, the St. X Alumni Hall of Honors, the Metro Area Athletic Directors Hall of Fame, the Louisville Catholic Sports Hall of Fame, and the Great American Rivalry Series Hall of Fame. In 2012, Alan was named Kentucky High School Athletic Director of the Year, and in 2015, he received St. X’s prestigious Theodore James Ryken Award.

Following his retirement in 2020, Alan has continued to support the sports community through his work with Southern Teachers Recruitment and Consulting in its Athletics division, where he mentors new and aspiring athletic directors. He and his wife, Leslie, are proud parents of four grown children—Morgan, Sarah, Reed, and Bob—and grandparents to four grandchildren.